


The Guardian of the Light

by DarkMuses



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Fem WoL, He is now named, M/F, Pretty boy who gets no love, The Smith from the Hall of the Novices, This must be correccted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:01:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkMuses/pseuds/DarkMuses
Summary: The head of the Smiths couldn't stop staring.Oh, Eluric had been warned by the Master-At-Arms for the ranged and fast strike fighters, but he still had to force himself to blink when she finally appeared in the Hall of the Novice outside Aleport.
Relationships: WoL/The Smith





	The Guardian of the Light

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP, and may be adjusted or altered as the work progresses, including adjusting the rating. **UPDATED FOR FLOW ISSUES 8 OCT 2020**
> 
> Everyone gives love to the major NPCs, and I love to read them, but I'm also a fan of the lesser NPCs as well. They have just as much right to some serious luffins from our different WoLs as any other, and I've wanted to write something that was specifically a much-forgotten NPC in spite of every one of us at least seeing him. YoshiP didn't even name the poor boy, so he's now named! <3
> 
> Constructive critiques enjoyed, criticisms will be ignored.

The head of the Smiths couldn't stop staring.

Oh, Eluric had been warned by the Master-At-Arms for the ranged and fast strike fighters, but he still had to force himself to blink when she finally appeared in the Hall of the Novice outside Aleport. Ilsette Maraux, a petite, by Elezen standards, young Duskwight with lightly tanned skin that clearly announced mixed parentage, black shaggy hair that was dyed to match her lavender eye at the tips and eyes that didn't match in the slightest yet could hold a man captive from across the room.

The deep pink and purple eyes were doing a damned good job of holding him at the moment.

“Hey, you're the Master Smith, right? Eluric Proctor? Do I have clearance to go into Sastasha or not? I completed all of your training courses in Gridania already, and the Admiral's getting a bit edgy about this situation.”

Even her voice hooked into his mind and took over his thought processes. The blond Midlander shook his head a bit for a moment before he could gather his wits enough to face her, a raised black eyebrow over the violet eye meeting his gaze. “Of course! You've more than satisfactorily passed the preliminaries laid out for you by Mother Minnoune and our agent in the Canopy, and I caution you to again remember your training. What lies ahead we can only make estimate of as none have yet been able to truly do reconnaissance to date, and if your group falls, we may not be able to rescue you.”

“I'm not too worried. I may be short, but I'm not weak.” He felt his cheeks burn a little at her words and the frown she leveled at him. Just that expression Eluric found enchanting! What was he thinking?! “Don't underestimate someone because they look weak. A well-trained lancer can do more damage than a Roegadyn paladin in the right situation.”

“Of course, of course! I have full faith in you! I just have to give the normal warnings for these types of missions!” He quickly waved his hands and gave her a sheepish grin. “I offer the blessings of the Navigator on your mission, Miss Maraux, and look forward to your success!”

She snorted as she turned and walked towards the doors leading out and towards her first serious mission. “Good, and you'd better have the alekegs tapped, because I'm gonna be looking for a celebration when we're through.”

“We'll be waiting for your return!”

When the doors closed with a heavy thud behind the Elezen's back, the Roegadyn adventurer by his side snickered into her hand. “You have really got it bad, don't you? Never thought I'd see the day.”

“Shut up. I have paperwork to finish and file.” Eluric studiously attempted to ignore the woman's laughter at his discomfort, but whenever he would pause in his work, his eyes inevitably turned towards that accursed maze in the hills, worry in their azure depths.

“Come on, come on, these guys aren't that tough, they're just castoffs from actual pirate organizations, meaning they aren't up to snuff and shouldn't be giving us this much trouble!” The pugilist she had teamed up with clearly hadn't spent any time prior to signing up with her and the others learning the general area and people, let alone had any prior knowledge of the folks that sailed and worked the Rhotano Sea. Any pirate was a viable threat, whether they were one of these Reavers or other groups that kept just out of reach of Admiral Merlwyb and her people. To not take them seriously was a grave failing that was costing their group in available healing and fighting. Having to take time to catch their breaths between each group they came across only gave the enemy more time to prepare, and it was taking its toll on them.

Ilsette growled at the fist-fighter and stepped nose to... well... chest with the Viera. “These guys aren't in their right minds to begin with and aren't acting in a way that I'd consider normal for pirates. They aren't to be taken lightly if they were just normal pirates, but these guys have a religious-level zealousness in their eyes! If you'd stop rushing ahead of our Marauder, we wouldn't be in such trouble now! The healer's not able to keep up like this, and without her, we're dead! We're just going to be another group of casualties, and I'd prefer to get out of this in one piece! Now, calm the hells down and let Earikson do his damned job!”

By the time they cleared out the last group of Serpent Reavers and were just starting to turn their attention back towards where the erstwhile captain had run, Ilsette's sharp hearing caught the sahagin's words and watched as the massive beastman's blade went across the hyur's chest and gut like he was nothing more than soft butter, the man dropping to the sands without a whimper of sound.

“Oh, that's not gonna be any good...” Ilsette turned back to Earikson and groaned, his narrowed gaze confirming her own thoughts. “Be careful of that blade! Everyone comes out alive but that sahagin!”

The last fight took the group's remaining bit of strength, but she hadn't been so lucky with a dodge. Ilsette felt their final enemy's blade catch her thigh before she could jump back, the shock dropping her while Earikson's axe hummed through the air, getting the last critical hit in and spilling the fishback's guts. “Good shot, Earikson... That bastard's had that one coming...”

“Ilsette? Hey, are you alright?” Pale green eyes framed with worry and exhaustion lines came into the Duskwight's field of vision. The healer, Momolita, had somehow been able to keep up with the group in spite of the Viera's continued insistence of running after every little thing, and now the Lalafel was focusing her attention towards Ilsette. “You aren't looking so good. I've stopped the bleeding, but your color's still nowhere near what I'd like to see.”

The world took a bit of a tumble when she shook her head, forcing the much smaller woman to support her shoulders. “I guess saying I'm fine's out of the question now. I feel sick, to be honest. Hot, getting hotter, and like I'm not all here. Disregarding all the blood I've shed.” Ilsette looked towards the cooling corpse of the sahagin and then frowned. “Something on the blade, I think. I was fine until he hit me. And me being me, I'm the only one who was actually cut.”

“It could be toxins from that gutting he gave that Reaver Captain, or the fact he probably never kept up with keeping the blade itself clean. I'll need to get you out of here though to be certain. Can you stand? Earikson, get over here and give me a hand!”

Ilsette's last memory as they teleported back out of Sastasha and she was quickly passed off was of an almost delicately-featured man with blond hair and a dueller's scar on his left cheek reaching out for her, blue eyes panicked, blurring over that Godsawful yellow jacket signifying an enlisted from Limsa. 'He's not supposed to be here... That pretty boy's supposed to be back in the hall... isn't he?'

Then, nothing.


End file.
